THE LEADER of the House of Commons has been rebuked for using Swindon Council to score a political point in Parliament. Peter Hain, had launched an attack on the council's £10m cost cutting saying they were horrifying.

Speaking to MPs in Parliament he said the swingeing cuts proved that Tories are prepared to massacre local services.

He said: "This is a horrifying story in Swindon, frankly.

"It just shows what happens when the Conservatives get into power, either locally in Swindon or what would happen if they got into power nationally.

"Their programme of £35bn of cuts would result in a massacring of services right across the country, including Swindon, and in addition sky high council tax."

But his broadside earned a rebuke from the Deputy Speaker, Sir Alan Haselhurst, who issued a second warning this week that ministers should not make "propaganda" points.

Health Secretary John Reid received a similar dressing down on Tuesday from Speaker Michael Martin.

Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden branded Mr Hain's outburst as childish.

He said the local authority was stuck in an impossible position of being asked to make efficiency savings by one minister and being told by another that they faced capping if council tax was increased by more than 4.9 per cent.

"We don't get sufficient government grants," said Mr Bawden. "The Government needs to give Swindon more help and ministers need to talk the same language.

"It's childless and I feel totally frustrated with one government minister saying one thing and another saying something different altogether."

Mr Hain's comments were prompted by an appeal from Swindon South MP Julia Drown.

She called on the Mr Hain to allow parliamentary time for debate on local government budgets.

She said MPs should discuss Swindon Council's plan to introduce a £10-a-day charge for day care.

"Could we have a debate on local government so that I can raise my

constituents concerns at Swindon Borough council's Conservative budget which this week put through £10m of cuts including a break on a pledge to the

voluntary sector by taking away £250,000 and raising day care charges from 65p to a massive £10 pounds a day?," she said.

She added: "Shouldn't we have a debate to show that when the Tories talk about running services sufficiently, in fact what they do is make cuts to services we all rely on."

Mark Hookham